Author's Note:: Whoop I got a review :D. Please enjoy the second chapter of my second fan fiction. Disclaimer:: Sadly, I do not own The World Ends With You. I'm not creative enough.
Joshua picked at his dinner, having lost his appetite after the run in with his… Fiancé. After his parents, chauffer, and several bystanders pulled off Beat and Neku who were trying to strangle him to the Underground, he was taken back to their 'lovely abode' to have a chat. The last three hours, save a half an hour he holed himself up in his room, was spent talking about how wonderful it was going to be after Rhyme married into the Kiryu family. His parents spoke little of the boys' outbursts, blaming it on what the Bito family had told them about one of their maids dropping Beat on his head as a baby. Joshua quite enjoyed that story, knowing it was the cover-up for the brute being… Well… Himself. As for Neku, the older Kiryus labeled him as the trouble making delinquent going after the Bito siblings' money.
"It isn't every day that I'm told I will marry a girl whose friends so obviously love me," Joshua muttered, pushing his plate away.
"Well, I do imagine Daisukenojo will need some calming down to do, but could you imagine the two most powerful families in Japan joining together? What a fantastic opportunity this is!" His father exclaimed, wiping his mouth.
"Obatala, finish your string beans. You've been getting weak," the woman, as Joshua had been accustomed to calling his mother, said. His father grunted and stared at the greens on his plate.
"Sometimes I forget, Aerith. Vegetables are just so delicious," his father drawled out. Joshua glanced at him briefly before spacing out of the window. And people wonder where his sarcasm came from.
After dinner, Joshua ran up to his room before his parents decided on another discussion with him. Usually he'd choose this time to disappear into the Underground, but he was… Exiled. For the time being, of course. Eventually, when the Angels allowed, he would be able to reclaim the seat of Composer. When? They didn't say, but very vaguely put that he must 'remember the ways of humanity and the joys of living before he can shuffle around with the dead.' Joshua grunted as he sat down on his bed. What bull. They might as well have killed him. Oh wait.
"Ugh," the prince buried his face in his hands before falling back to stare at the ceiling. What a dull dull world. There was nothing to really do in the land of the living. He could go out for a walk, but he's too tired. He could build a few models like he used to, but he'd already made more than available in the market. He could call up his…
And then Joshua stopped thinking. No, there were no actual friends of his that he can just call up and talk nonsense with. Not anymore. They've been gone since… Since the Angels know when. A dark frown took over the young boy's face. How long had it been? Seven years? Maybe more. Then again, it could've been less. Four years? No. Too close. Inwardly growling, the ex-Composer grabbed a sweater and dragged himself out of the depressing jail he once called home. And as the summer chill hit him, so did the question that continually reminded him he'd lost track of time. How long had it been since his first Game?
o*~o~o~*~o~o~*o
"YO, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT THEY SAY, YOU AIN'T MARRYIN' PRISSY BOY!"
Rhyme watched her brother pace his room, knocking over and throwing around various what-not to vent his anger. It's the same thing whenever Beat got angry. He'd lock himself up in his room, start trashing the place, she'd let herself in with the spare key, and watch him until he was tired of causing havoc. The maids have long given up on cleaning his room up, since it wasn't going to stay clean very long. He and their parents fought often; whether it be a failed test, or a bad progress report, or just 'disgracing the family name.' Or in this case, marrying his only little sister off to the Composer, which of course his parents weren't aware of. Even if they had played the Game before, not many players, if any had at all, met the Composer.
"SCREW HONOR AN' ALL THAT CRAP! THEY GOT THE BALLS TO…"
She sighed and leaned on her elbows. This time, Beat was really mad. He'd never gone more than an hour tearing apart his room. She would've expected him to run out of things to destroy by now. The drawers were emptied out and broken, the mirror was shattered, his mattress was thrown across the room, and shreds of paper were scattered across the floor. Of course, he completely avoided anything she gave him; the drawings he lovingly hung up on the wall and the little trinkets she managed to find and clean up for him to have. The skater was now in the closet ripping apart suits and ties and whatever the folks had given him.
"Beat?" Her brother immediately spun around to face the younger blonde. She gave him a tired smile. "How about we sleep on this and take things up in the morning? No use in wasting energy when we could be dreaming."
And so Rhyme was lying in her large, too-squishy-for-sleep bed. Apparently she had chosen the wrong words to say. Anything that had to do with dreams unnerved her older brother, since she had lost her initial entry fee. Which of course brought him back to raving about how evil and "connivering" Joshua was. Before he went overboard, though, Rhyme swung her arms around his shoulders and assured him everything was going to be alright in the way only she could do. It was a known fact the tough looking thug her brother tried to be had a big soft spot for her. She never took advantage of him, but in situations such as those, she was grateful to have a bit of power over her loving sibling.
Half an hour passed and the young Bito was still lying on her bed, unable to sleep. There were too many thoughts in her mind. She kept thinking about Joshua. About her apparently inescapable engagement with him, and how she could get out of it. And then she started analyzing the Composer, himself. If he was such a horrible person, then why host a game as a second chance for life? Then again, he had reapers that tried to prevent those souls from coming back to the Realground. But suppose every soul managed to come back to life? Then there'd be no point in death.
"Mmm…" Rhyme shook her head a looked at the clock. 9:37. It wasn't that late, but she was tired and wanted to sleep. Only problem was, she wasn't exactly sleepy. Sighing to herself, she took her keys and cell phone before walking out of the giant monstrosity her parents called a house. 'A walk will do me good. I'll clear my mind and sleep will follow.'o*~o~o~*~o~o~*o
"Joshua! I figured it out! We have to go the river!" "The river?" "Yep. Shibuya River. That's where the Composer must be. Hurry up. The Reapers will find us soon. We need to take over this game." "I vote Yoshi for Composer!" "Haha. You three will be the highest I can put you then. I'm not going to run Shibuya alone." "
He and his friends were playing basketball at the park when it happened. Gun shots fired off and people were running around in panic. They were ten years old, save Yusuke who would've turned ten a couple of weeks later. And well, they were small kids. They ended up being knocked around by everyone taller than them and couldn't get away in time. Twelve or eleven people died in that park that day. Joshua let out a breath he forgot he was holding. His partner was Yuki, the closest one to him in their group of friends, and his first crush, if Joshua ever admitted it, which he didn't. Hayate and Yusuke naturally partnered up with each other, being brothers and all. The four made a plan to-
"WATCH OUT!"
The air was knocked out of the petite prince and next thing he knew, he was laying on the pavement with the worst headache of his life. When had he gotten to the underpass? And why was he even on the floor? He squirmed a bit and realized there was a person on top of him. She lifted her head and he met face to face with none other than his lovely fiancé.
"You should look both ways before crossing the street next time," Rhyme offered him a small smile as she stood up. He allowed her to help him and took note of the scrapes on her arms.
"Mmm… Not very smart of me, I suppose," Joshua rubbed his bruised arm, avoiding eye contact with the girl. "Guessing now, I owe-" A small hand gently brushed his cheek.
"Have you been crying, Joshua?"
The skinny boy jumped away from her touch and felt his face. Damp. And his lips were salty. Rhyme stepped toward him, and he quickly stepped back. She said his name again, her voice softer, but he was already running. Which left the Rhyme confused and alone on the sidewalk. She looked after his disappearing figure for a few moments. She could easily catch up to him. She'd had enough practice with Beat. 'No. Bad idea.' Her blue eyes stared into the direction Joshua disappeared into before deciding to go back home, the ex-Composer's sweater in hand.
Author's Note:: This chapter's a little short, forgive me. But I think ending it there was the best thing. Thank you for taking time to read this, and if you can, tell me what you think. Good day! Night… Whatever it is by you :D. Reader:: Thank you for reading and reviewing my story! I'm glad you like :D. Liber-T.E.A:: I'm actually surprised, too (and I wrote the story, silly me). Perhaps in their next encounter hehe. Rest assured, no matter how I write this, I don't think Joshua's getting off easily. Poor poor boy.